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The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

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Kempy Kay

KEMPY KAY—D

[_]

Motherwell's MS., p. 192.

[OMITTED]

1

The father came unto the door,
And keeked thro the key-hole, a wee
And there he saw his dochter Jean,
Sitting on a coal. a wee

2

They scartit her, and scrapit her,
Wi the hand o a rusty pan, a wee
Her father he did all his best
For to get her a man. a wee

3

She is to the stoups gane,
There is nae water in;
She's cursed the hands and ban'd the feet
That did na bring it in.

4

Out then spak her auld mither,
In her bed whare she lay:
‘If there is nae water in the house,
Gae harl her thro the lin.’

5

O she is to the taipy tapples gane,
That stood for seven year,
And there she washed her foul face clean,
And dried it wi a huggar.

6

He's gien her a gay gold ring,
Just like a cable-rope,
And she's gien him a gay gravat,
Made out o the tail o a sark.